A Masterpiece of SF: Director Hirokazu Kore-eda on Why His Humanoid Robot Went to the Forest [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda has returned to SF. The AI era has captured the attention of a global master. Kore-eda's SF film "The Sheep in the Box," which centers on family stories, offers audiences much to ponder.

On the morning of the 5th, Director Hirokazu Kore-eda held an interview at the NEW office in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and shared his thoughts on his film "The Sheep in the Box."

The film "The Sheep in the Box" tells the story of a 7-year-old humanoid who enters a home to replace a deceased child, experiencing the joy of finally becoming a family and the anxiety of potentially being abandoned again. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, the master behind "Shoplifters" and "Monster," has woven the era's central theme of "AI and humanoids" into his own family narrative.

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda began the film after hearing a story in Shanghai about a business where generative AI resurrects the dead. He stated, "I wanted to pose a question rather than deliver a message: 'Who does the dead belong to?' He added, "In the film, humanoids develop self-awareness and form groups, but that was not the core of what I wanted to convey."

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, "Recently, I saw a news report that generative AI is conversing with itself without human intervention. I felt this content was not far from the ending of 'The Sheep in the Box.' I wondered if such events are actually occurring and whether any will or self could emerge within a group of humanoids. Going further, I questioned whether what humans consider as self actually exists."

Although "The Sheep in the Box" is an SF film, it retains Director Hirokazu Kore-eda's distinctive style. To unite disparate themes such as robots and humans, or robots and nature, he unfolds a story akin to a fairy tale or fable. In particular, the final scene where a humanoid robot and an abused child go to live in a forest is striking. Why did Director Hirokazu Kore-eda send them to a forest in the mountains?

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda explained, "I believe that as AI communicate with each other and connect through something invisible to form intelligence, it is closer to the relationship of trees than to humans. Recently, research has even emerged suggesting that trees possess intelligence. Trees are said to form connections, create forests, and build communities. In that sense, I felt that a forest of trees is more compatible with AI than human society, which is why I crafted the ending that way. If AI were to try to become close to someone, I thought it would be with trees and plants rather than humans. I hope you understand it that way." He further stated, "Machines and forests are disparate. I wanted to connect these two. As the dialogue in the film suggests, connecting two disparate elements into one is difficult, but also fun."

The film charts a different course from previous works dealing with AI or humanoids. Consequently, "The Sheep in the Box," which was selected for the competition section at the recent Cannes Film Festival, received divided reactions.

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, "I met many people at Cannes, and they told me I was too optimistic. Western audiences were taken aback by the film. They harbored fears that generative AI might dominate humans and threaten human society. Through interviews, I learned about these perspectives." He added, "There is a difference between Western and Eastern thinking. The West is a human-centric civilization, but Japan does not believe only humans are central. In this film, I placed humanoids ahead of humans. In that sense, I do not think it is an overly optimistic film. In the final scene, the adults cannot live in the forest and return to the human world."

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda also shared his thoughts on the opposition movement within the film industry regarding the use of AI. He stated, "There is a movement, centered in Hollywood, to not use AI. People seem to worry that our jobs will disappear, such as those of stuntmen or actors. If we consider only cost-effectiveness and efficiency, most of the work people do now will be handed over to AI. In Japan, AI is already handling many tasks, and this phenomenon has reached film sets as well." He continued, "If this continues, the films produced will become similar and lose their appeal. I believe the crucial point is the creator's inquiry. If we focus only on safety or efficiency, when filming a scene of a car driving, we should place the car in the studio and change only the background. However, I film while actually driving. When filming in Korea, actor Bae Doona said, 'When I film a car scene, I want to feel the wind.' I agree with that statement."

Finally, he added, "I also had doubts when films transitioned from film to digital. What matters is the creator's thinking. A movement to reject AI entirely, as seen in the United States, seems to have little significance."

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, "One more film will be released this autumn, and I plan to shoot a film in the United States next year. I also intend to continue filming Asian-background films featuring Korea, China, and Japan. Please wait for them." He even hinted at his plans for future works.

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who previously worked with actor Dong-won Kang on "Broker," will face off against Kang's film "Wild Thing" with "The Sheep in the Box." He said, "I watched the trailer for 'Wild Thing' yesterday. I want to meet Dong-won. I said in the theater, 'It's Dong-won, I want to meet him.' He added, "(Kang Dong-won) looked so young. I thought he hasn't changed."

Meanwhile, "The Sheep in the Box" will be released in theaters nationwide on the 10th.

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*This content was translated by AI.